Saying goodbye to a national symbol

Penny will be missed

Northumberland News

A penny for your thoughts. A penny saved is a penny earned.

For the children of today, such sayings won't likely hold much value. Unlike the countless number of generations who grew up with pennies -- saving them for that special trip to the store to exchange for a paper bag of one-cent candies -- kids can't get much for a penny anymore.

Other than the emotional attachment they provide, pennies really don't hold any value today except to try and round out change to get a nickel back instead of more pennies.

People have just stopped using them as much, opting to throw them in a jar instead of keeping them in their wallets -- a jar that to some young kid used to be filled with the magic of possibilities and the hope that they would be asked to roll them up in exchange for the bounty.

With the phasing out of the penny officially taking effect Feb. 4, it's only a matter of time before wallets permanently empty of the annoying, yet heritage rich copper-coloured coins some people can't even be bothered to accept back as change.

Over time, the expense of making pennies has grown greater than their worth, costing the government and ultimately the taxpayer much more than it will to do away with them. It's a move some other countries have already made and one that will save Canadians $11 million each year.

Making a penny costs about 1.6 cents, even though the expensive copper it's known for has become nearly non-existent in its production. Originally, the coin was made almost completely with copper, but the precious metal was replaced by zinc in 1997 and steel in 2000, accompanied by copper-plating.

Losing the penny is practical but sad. For many, it served as an introduction to money, saving, and playing poker.

Canada's one-cent coin is a national symbol bearing proudly and prominently the country's maple leaf, but both federal and provincial levels of government need to get spending under control. Eliminating the penny is one of the less painful ways to move toward a bigger financial solution.

To honour the one-cent coin, how about using it to help create other happy memories?

The Royal Canadian Mint is offering 20,000 special rolls made from the last million pennies produced for distribution. Use one to save 50 pennies to pass on to the next generation, then purge for a good cause.

Pick a charity and unload. Doing so will be a well-suited send-off to the memorable penny and provide assistance, and good memories, to those in need.

More information on the special penny rolls can be found at www.mint.ca.